a prophetic voice-

I have been gifting myself with the reading of an amazing book, yet another product of the husband/wife team of Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. A Path Appears should be required reading for every high school and college student. In fact, it should be required reading for every citizen of this nation. When I have not been reduced to tears by the stories, true stories of survival and giving and dedication and hope, I have found myself convicted again and again of my need to do more... to find a cause, perhaps several causes, to which I can give my heart and time and monies, knowing I can and will make a difference. No pie-in-the-sky solutions here... simply the telling of the stories of individuals who have made and continue to make a difference in ways both big and small. Lives changed, towns given hope, communities restored; seemingly insurmountable problems faced head-on, often with few resources, and over and over again the conviction that we CAN make a dif...

t aking time A breath, deep and long Another, then one more as muscles and relax letting go of all they have           been holding Anxiety and must-do lists Rushing and stressing and    tying myself in knots    over the ways in which    I am not doing all I could    to help those in need    to work for peace    to advocate for justice    to love...accept...include A breath, deeper still Another, then one more as time's demands fall away creating space for-            clarity            peace            blessed emptiness creating space for-            the Spirit of Hope            to enter in and ...

A wet and windy Wednesday morning to you all, dear ones, wherever you are. Sitting here in my little rattan chair, waiting for the sun to rise, or at least for more light to appear on the horizon, my mind is filled with images great and small, sad and hopeful, dreadful and lovely...the devastation which continues to rock Japan set alongside the very real progress being made by my son, Paul, as he negotiates his way out of depression and hopelessness with the help of medication, therapy, and loving support. The scary news of the seemingly-overwhelming problems with the Japanese nuclear power plant set beside the blooming of daffodils and forsythia and Bradford pear trees and tulip magnolias throughout our small city. Oxymoronic images, it seems...and i can let them pull me into despair, bounce me into elation, or i can dwell with them, one at a time, letting each wash over me, enter into me, so i can hold and consider and FEEL what each one engenders within me. It takes time, d...